Improvement in counting-registers



G. H. VAN VLECK.

Counting-Registers.

N0. 137,262. PatentedMarch25',1873.

.WMW i QM 9 AM PHO ra-urnosmmm c0. 1/. x (nelson/v51; mocssg) UNITEDSTATES PATENT OFFIoE.

GEORGE H. VAN VLECK, OF BUFFALO, NEYV YORK.

IMPROVEMENT IN COUNTING-REGISTERS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 137,262, dated Marrh25, 1873.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE HENRY VAN VLECK, of Bufialo, in the county ofErie and State of New York, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Numbering- Wheels or Mechanical Movements, of which thefollowing is a specification:

This invention relates to mechanical movements or wheels having lettersor figures on their peripheries for registering movements of machinery,such as engines, presses, carriages, gas and water meters, &c.; and theinvention consists in the employment of a series of wheels, each onehaving ten pins placed in a circle on one side, and one pin and asegmental circular-guide on the other, working in connection with apeculiarly formed catch-wheel placed between each wheel, all to behereinafter fully explained.

In the drawing, Figure l is a plan view of the device as in operation.Figs. 2, 3, and 4 show the wheels detached. Fig. 5 is a perspective viewof the catch-wheel.

A MA A are a series of numbered wheels moving loosely on short shafts orbearings a, which pass through the centers of the wheels, and areconnected between each wheel to strips of metal b. These pass upward ata slight angle (see Figs. 2, 3, and 4) and are connected together,leaving a space between at the top, by a pin or pivot, 0, upon which apeculiarly-shaped pinion or catch, 0, revolves loosely. These pinionsare so formed that they will mesh into a series of pins, d d, ten innumber, representing units, (see Figs. 1 and 4,) placed equidistant in acircle upon one side of each wheel. These catch-wheels are formed withfour teeth, and each tooth has cut in its face a small groove, 6, (seeFig. 4,) in which moves the segment of a ring or guide,

f, (see Figs. 3 and 4,) which is formed on the opposite side of thewheels from the pins d, before described. This ring or guide f has aportion cut out, as shown at g, Figs. 2 and 3, for a distance a littlemore than twice the space between two of the pins d, and which has acarrying-pin, h, set in the center of the space g. This pin, in everyrevolution of the wheel, carries the first catch-wheel forward, which isengaged between two opposite teeth, just one pin, corresponding to onenumber on the next wheel N, which number remains up permost and exposedto view until another full revolution of the wheel moves the catchwheelforward another pin, and so on. As the carrying-pin h moves forward itslides over the rounded tooth of the catch-wheel; at the same time theguide f engages in the groove 0 of the next tooth of the catch-wheel,

which remains between the two opposite pins until moved forward by thecontact of the pin h in the next revolution of the first wheel.

This operation repeats itself throughout. The wheels A can be formedwith any number of the pins cl, but preferably of ten, as shown, andhave a number from nought to nine exposed on the face of the wheel, asin Fig. 1, each wheel and pinion being precisely alike, except the twoouter wheels A and A, the former of which will have no circle of pins hand the latter no guide f, as shown.

The whole operation is as follows: The connection is made to the shaftof wheel A from the machine or meter to be recorded, and as the shaftrevolves the wheel will assume the position shown in Fig. 2. This willbring the pin it into contact with the point of the pinion orcatch-wheel C, which will turn it slightly and allow the guide f toenter the groove 0 in its face, which will thus prevent its revolvingany further until the wheel A has made another revolution, when the pinit will again turn the pinion the distance of one tooth, and so theaction continues. Every time the pinion 0 is moved it acts upon one ofthe circle of teeth d on the opposite wheel, and by this means turns thesecond wheel A one-tenth of a revolution, or the distance of one pin.This action continues until the first wheel A has made ten revolutions,which will then have caused the second wheel A to make only onerevolution, which will force the pin it on wheel A to act upon thesecond pinion O and cause the wheel A to move the distance of one pin.It will then be seen that when the first wheel A has made one hundredrevolutions the second has made only ten, while the third has only movedone point, or one-tenth of a revolution, and the fourth wheel A will notbe af fected at all until the first wheel has made one thousandrevolutions, and so on indefinitely, any number of wheels being added,as may be desired. Its great advantage for a meter, &c., is, that afterpassing a single pin it forms a perfect lock with the next pin, thecatch-wheel tooth remaining between the two uppermost pins, and theguide in the groove preventing any turning backward of the wheels.

Its exceeding simplicity, and doing away with springs of all sorts, areother important advantages.

These wheels will be set in any suitable box, with a single or series ofopenings, so that the figures can be seen, indicating the number ofrevolutions or state of ameter, 850.-

This device will be found adaptable to any machinein which a recordinginstrument would be useful, such as printing-presses, cloth- ,measuringmachines, engines, &c., and also to gas and other meters.

Claims.

' 1 1. I claim the construction of the numbering-wheel A, having on oneside the pins d d, and on theother the segmental guide f andcarrying-pin h, and moving on short shaft 1, all arranged as and for thepurpose hereinbefore set forth.

2. I also claim the locking and moving pinion or catch-wheel 0, formedas described, and arranged between each numbering-wheel, and incombination with the pins d h and guide f, on wheelsA A, as and for thepurpose hereinbefore set forth.

'3. I claim the mechanical movement pro- I duced by means of the wheelsA A, having the pins d d h, and guide f, and the catchwheel 0, allarranged, constructed, and operating as hereinbefore fully specified.

In witness whereof I have hereunto signed my name in the presence of twosubscribing witnesses. I

GEO. H. VAN VLEOK. Witnesses J. R. DRAKE,

G. N. WOODWARD.

